Better and faster than what? My machines run Win7 (except my thin clients, all of which are service machines, and run either XP or XPe). Win8 offers no improvement over Win7 EXCEPT the Metro interface which, to my way of thinking, is not an improvement (I'm happy with Android on my phones and tablets, and have no interest in a touch-screen powered PC with a similar interface). Even if Win8 offered the exact same functionality as Win7, but with a slight speed advantage, I can't think of any reason why I'd want to adopt it -- I remember the long quest for Win7 drivers (some of which never were written, resulting in having to abandon long-cherished hardware), and have no desire to repeat the process with Win8. All my software is optimized for Win7. I don't want to upgrade just to gain compatibility with an OS that offers me no advantages.

Win8 reflects something that I've noticed developing in the hardware field: the dumbing-down -- in fact, the infantilizing -- of computers and computer-based gear. A camera that can play games? A phone app that beeps if someone else with the same app walks by? Tablets for which 90% of app development is gaming? And now, a PC OS designed, not to allow you to do work -- to actually DO something -- but to keep up with your social networks?

No thanks.